News for Restaurants in Orange County, CA August 2009 Archive

Newport Mesa locals are excited to hear The Counter, which has a single location in OC at Irvine's Woodbury Town Center, is scheduled to open in Newport Beach's Westcliff Plaza at 108 Irvine. Ave. in January 2010. The Counter, Woodbury Town Center, 6416 Irvine Blvd., Irvine, CA 92620, 949-336-7272.

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Wireless-Friendly Panera Bread Adds New Menu ItemsPanera Bread, which has laptop-friendly environment with free WiFi and lots of charging plugs, has added some new items to its menu. One of the new dishes is a barbecue-chicken chopped salad with all-natural, antibiotic-free chicken, fire-roasted corn, tortilla strips, romaine lettuce and a mild, yet slightly sweet barbecue ranch dressing. Some other items include a Napa almond chicken salad sandwich, a "power" breakfast sandwich and macadamia nut "blondies" cookies. Panera New Menu Items, 235 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627, 949-642-9500.

Great Deals on Meals from Savannah at the BeachSavannah at the Beach is offering deals on several of their most popular menu items. 8 oz. filet mignon, 14 oz. prime rib, 1/2 pound of king crab legs and fresh catch of the day are all available for $15 each; entrees are all served with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. These entree deals are good through the end of the summer; you can either call or make a reservation online. Savannah at the Beach, Lido Center, 3420 Via Oporto, Newport Beach, CA 92663, 949-673-0414.

$39 Classic Suppers at Stonehill Tavern Superstar chef Michael Mina's Stonehill Tavern, which is located inside the St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, has introduced an ongoing "classic tavern suppers" menu. For just $39 per person, the ocean-view restaurant features a different three-course tasting menu each night of the week (except Mondays and Tuesdays, when the restaurant is closed). For example, Saturday evening's tasting menu features an heirloom tomato salad with grilled bacon, roast Prime rib with twice-baked potato and Maui onion jus, and a butterscotch pudding with accompanying honeycomb. Stonehill Tavern also has a new bar menu with $5 truffle popcorn and sliders (barbecue pork belly, New England lobster, American kobe beef, tuna niçoise). Stonehill Tavern, St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, One Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA 92629, 949-234-3200, 800-722-1543.